The present invention relates to a communication method and apparatus for achieving substantially simultaneous real-time audio and data communication over a wireless communication link.
As a results of the relatively rapid development of communications technology, many devices such as personal computers now include communications capabilities, including wireless communication capabilities, as a standard feature. However, the wireless communication capabilities of personal computers are limited by the lack of sufficient connection between the wireless communication components and the sound system of the personal computer. For example, the current GSM mobile telephone specifications that cover connections to external equipment such as PCs (GSM 7.05, 7.07) do not provide for a multichannel interface. Further, there are not currently standardized protocols for transferring voice and data substantially simultaneously over a COM port (PCMCIA interface) to a mobile telephone (such as a PCMCIA card phone).
Many digital wireless communication networks have the capability to transfer voice and data substantially simultaneously. For example, GSM and other systems offer a short message service (SMS) capability in which short messages can be transmitted while a voice connection is established. However, the conventional mobile telephone interface does not allow real-time voice data to be transmitted from the mobile telephone substantially simultaneously with other data.
Systems are known which achieve substantially simultaneous audio and data communication. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,560 to Shimada et al. discloses a method and system for communicating between separate electronic devices; however, the method and system contemplate that each communicating device has a modem capable of simultaneous audio and data communication. It would be desirable to achieve substantially simultaneous real-time audio and data communication over a wireless communication link using standardized protocols, and without requiring a receiving communication device to contain components identical to those in the transmitting device. It would be further desirable to achieve such substantially simultaneous audio and data communication with audio information being input and/or output through the sound components of a personal computer.
The present invention overcomes the foregoing problems, and achieves other advantages, by providing for a method and apparatus for achieving substantially simultaneous audio and data communication in which an apparatus operates according to a standard protocol such as DSVD (Digital Simultaneous Voice and Data). According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus includes a microprocessor through which voice and data signals are provided as DSVD frames, and a wireless communication device such as a mobile telephone for receiving audio and data signals from the microprocessor, mapping the audio and data signals into wireless channels defined according to a wireless communication protocol (GSM, etc.) and transmitting or receiving the audio and data signals substantially simultaneously over a wireless communication link. The wireless communication device can be a PCMCIA card phone or a conventional mobile telephone. The apparatus preferably includes first and second DSVD multiplexers in the microprocessor and the wireless communication device, respectively, and a PCMCIA interface between the DSVD multiplexers. The apparatus can be selectively operated in either a dual audio/data mode, which does not require a second apparatus to include a DSVD modem, or alternatively in a standard DSVD mode for communication with a second apparatus having a DSVD modem.
According to further exemplary embodiments, a method according to the present invention includes the steps of: initializing a communication device to operate in one of two or more modes, the two or more modes including a substantially simultaneous audio and data mode and a standard DSVD mode; receiving audio and data signals from a microprocessor as DSVD frames and mapping the audio and data signals into a standard wireless communication protocol (GSM, etc.); and transmitting the audio and data signals substantially simultaneously over a wireless communication link.
The mapping of the method and apparatus according to the present invention allows substantially simultaneous communication to be achieved without the requirement that each communicating apparatus include a standard DSVD modem or multiplexer. The apparatus and method are adaptable to allow communication in multiple modes including a first mode for communication according to a standard wireless protocol and a second mode for communication according to a standard DSVD protocol.